A hot topic in recent times has been the gap between America's rich and poor. While this fact may be true, people seem to be overreacting to this situation and assuming consequences that are far-fetched. I thought this article presented a very interesting explanation for why this has occurred.
In summary, the article describes how the changing American family model could be an influence. In mid-century America it was often the case that A well educated male would be married to a housewife or lesser educated woman. In modern times, however, many more women have higher education and work with their well educated male counterparts. Naturally, many of them marry each other and therefore have households with much higher income. With high income earners now living together rather than being evenly mixed, the income gap has grown. This trend seems likely to continue as more and more women gain degrees and enter the workforce.
http://www.economist.com/news/united-states/21595972-how-sexual-equality-increases-gap-between-rich-and-poor-households-sex-brains-and
Why are more educated people marrying each other now and not before? Is it because no women were educated back then? Which system is working better? It is interesting to think about divorce rates now compared to then. If marriages lasted longer then could this possibly have anything to do with that? Or was it just more socially unacceptable to get a divorce? Women certainly should not sacrifice their education for marriage, but it is interesting to think about what may have caused these shifts.
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